


Samhain

by elveriamoir



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 17:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2237772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elveriamoir/pseuds/elveriamoir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I don't know where this came from, but it includes Nori, Dori and Ori. AS it is a short story any more would give it away, so read it and find out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Samhain

Samhain.

 

Nori was as giddy as a school girl as he made his way home. Samhain was his favourite holiday of the year. A celebration of not only the ancestors, but of the turning of the year. He half skipped, half danced as he weaved through the crush of people filling the streets. The festival wouldn’t start until much later and Nori wanted to get home, have some of his brother’s fabled Samhain Stew and then get ready for when darkness fell. 

 

He was almost dragged through the door by his youngest brother and a bowl of steaming stew was shoved into his hands by an impatient Dori. Nori practically inhaled the food, savouring the taste as he watched his brothers become antsy. He obviously wasn’t the only member of the Ri family who loved the holiday. 

 

%

 

Ori was practically dancing where he stood and Nori finally took pity on him and pushed up from the table. He was towed along to Ori’s room where he started to help Ori into his outfit. He decided it was a good job none of them were bashful as he realised Ori was already naked and wriggling into skin tight leather pants. Nori chuckled as his brother swore as he finally got the white trousers up and fastened the laces. Nori knelt and helped Ori into the knee length leather boots. He grumbled under his breath as the pearl-shot laces caught on his calluses. 

 

Standing back he reached for the white tabard that would complete his brother’s outfit. Sliding it easily over mousey brown hair he carefully laced the sides up. The pearlescent symbol on the front seemed to glow in the candle light and he forced the now twitchy youngster to sit. It took him no time to fasten the white and pearl bracers around his brother’s upper arms, although he did falter on the laces on the wrist guards. Satisfied the leather was snug and wouldn’t chafe Nori started on Ori’s hair. The mousy tangle transformed under his hands, deft fingers wound in tiny braids, trailing lengths of pearl threads through them, while he fixed them with tiny white seed pearls. Confident the hair would hold, Nori walked around his brother and crouched before him. With a steady hand he whitened out his brother’s lips and brushed a pearlescent powder over the lad’s cheek bones and eyelids. He pulled Ori to his feet and pushed the white oak and pearl stave into his brother’s hand, before handing him the white and pearl half mask. 

 

%

 

He led Ori into the sitting room and forced him to sit still before rushing to help Dori. The sound of the last of the day bells rang through the streets and he only had an hour to get ready and get to the square for the festival. Dori was thankfully already in his brown leather pants when Nori arrived. He shot his oldest brother a sheepish grin and knelt to help him on with the brown knee length boots, taking a moment to reverently brush his fingers over the bronze and gold embroidered leaves on them Nori made short work of the dark green laces gracing their length. Dori had managed to get his own wrist guards on as Nori worked and he heaved a thankful sigh. The quicker he got Dori and Ori out the quicker he could dress. 

 

Unlike Ori, Dori had gone for a half sleeved tunic and Nori dropped it cautiously over his brother’s head, being carefully not to muse Dori’s already fantastically braided grey hair and beard. Once the difficult part was done Nori allowed himself to fuss, straightening the green and brown patterned velvet with practised ease. He returned his brother’s smirk as he fixed the heavily embroidered belt of bronze, gold, green and brown around Dori’s waist. Outfit complete he added the final touch to Dori’s costume. A crown made of cloth flowers and leaves, complete with semi-precious stones. He sat it carefully on the top of Dori’s elegant up do, attaching it with the small clips his oldest brother had worked into the design. The bronze, gold, topaz, green, brown, yellow and malachite glowed against the steel grey of Dori’s hair. 

 

Holding back a huff Nori made short work of Dori’s make-up. He painted his brother’s lips a dark green, brushed a powder of bronze over the high cheek bones (making sure to get none in the beard. The ribbons green woven there were enough). Finally he coloured Dori’s eyelids and up to his eyebrow with a gold powder. 

 

Nori nodded as he stepped back and Dori clapped him on the corner as he left the room, cane of polished rosewood under one arm and fixing his leaf patterned mask with the other. 

 

%

 

Nori waited until he heard the door shut behind his brothers before he stepped into his own rooms. He carefully opened the chest that contained his costume and reverently removed it section by section. Laying it out ready he turned from the bed, stripping off as he walked towards the ewer and large dish to wash away the grim of the day. Once clean he un-braided his hair and ran a comb through it, working in sandalwood and sage oil to make it gleam. Only when it reflected a red glow in the light of the candles did he deem it perfect. Letting most of the mass fall down his back to brush the back of his thighs he made two simple braids in the front, working them around his head in a simple crown of hair. Checking in the mirror and satisfied they were lying straight he tied them off with a ribbon of black velvet. 

 

The first part of his outfit he went for were the net gloves. Made in a fishnet pattern with velvet cuffs they covered from his knuckles to midway on his bicep, the only thing stopping them riding up being the holes for his thumbs. Years of practice had them sitting flat in moments and reached for his trousers next. Made of the softest black leather and laced down the sides they had once presented a challenge to get into. Now he managed to wiggle into them, skilfully avoiding displacing the laces down each leg. He carefully fastened the laces at the front and straightened the lines down the outside of his legs. The pale skin seemed to glow under the dark material and he smirked. Unlike his brothers he forewent a traditional shirt. Instead he fastened a black leather war harness across his chest and back. The dark material (what there was of it) clung like a second skin and Nori ran a hand over the swirling tattoo it revealed, before straightening the black metal clasps. 

 

He checked himself in the floor length mirror and nodded when he was satisfied what he saw. He might not be overly muscular, but all of his bare skin and clinging leather hinted at lean muscle. Chuckling darkly he slid his feet into the black boots he had made especially for the holiday. They stopped halfway up his calves, were laced with black chain instead of cord and had platform soles, finally the top fastened with a single buckle of black metal shaped in the form of a grinning skull with fangs. Straightening up he panted slightly and brushed his hair back over his shoulders. 

 

He glanced out of his window before he started to add the final touches to his outfit. The sun was just starting to paint the sky a blood red and he let out a sigh of relief, he wouldn’t be late after all. A velvet collar went around his throat, and he settled the hanging gems against his pale skin. The largest gem, a garnet of a particularly blood red was carved with the symbol of Odin and nestled in the hollow of his throat. Satisfied he walked across to the dressing table and started the work on his face. His lips were coloured a deep red, a matt colour that made them seem like they swallowed the light. His cheeks were next and he blended a powder of the palest grey under his cheekbones to give yet more definition to them (He had been told his natural cheek bones were sharp enough to cut glass and he was just taking advantage of the fact.) The cheek bones himself he dusted with a white powder, highlighting them further against his pale skin. Finally he started work on his eyes. Green eyes stared back at him from the glass as he skilfully worked the liquid and powder around them. When he was done they seemed to glow with power from the darkness in which they sat. 

 

Finally he was ready for his mask and staff. The mask was almost beautiful in its horror. A half mask though it was, the bone white surface was painted with the marks of Odin and Mahal, the dark red of the dye used swallowing light eerily. Carved in a mirrad of swirling patterns and shaped to his face, it ended with two fangs curling down over his own mouth. Fixing a grim smile onto his face Nori picked up the staff and allowed himself a few moments to admire it. A work from a master craftsman it was carved from a single bough of black ebony and studded with jet and onyx. The top of the staff, level with his eyes, held yet another black-red garnet. 

 

%

 

Ori was the first of the Ri brothers to appear and the crowd gathered in the square fell silent as the white dressed youth glided across to the large fire. In the flickering light he seemed to glow and the crowd held its breath as he knelt down and placed his offering into the flames. A white glow leapt up from it and as pearl-like sparks rained down the crowd began to chatter among themselves. Ori nodded and offered a prayer to the gods, before he stepped up to a marble podium. He sank into the throne carved there and looked across the milling crowd. He nodded when he caught the eyes of his fellow dawn priests, before settling back to watch the festival. He wouldn’t play a large role in this one, nor would his fellows, they were merely here to keep the balance. 

 

%

 

Nearly a full bell passed before Dori stepped into the light given off by the fire. Again silence fell over the gathering and they watched as he offered the flames a short bow before placing his offering into their depths. A gasp of awe went up from the crowd and they turned their faces upwards to gaze at the swirling light show of green and gold leaves. Dori walked over to the wooden podium and sat gracefully on the carved throne there. He raised a hand in greeting to his fellow harvest priests before turning back to watch the festival. He was here only to keep the balance, his role was drawing to a close for the year. 

 

%

 

Time passed and the gathering became more rowdy as mead was consumed. Nori watched from the shadows. He smiled a peaceful smile at Ori’s offering and chuckled softly at Dori’s offering. He watched from behind hood eyes as the priests of his kin mingled with the crowd. He could never understand why they wouldn’t stand with the head of their orders at such important times. As the only priest of his order Nori sometimes felt a bone deep weariness and separation. Even with his brothers he was sometimes held apart. Yet as the night wore on his heart ache fled and his poise became confident and proud. He was the only one capable of being a priest of this order. He was the only one chosen and it was his honour and duty to fulfil his oaths. 

 

The largest of the fires dwindled and sparked out, sending the gathering into flickering shadows. Nori stepped forward even as the midnight bell rang out. His grin was wicked as the drunken crowd fell into a deep silence. He stepped forward, his walk sinuous as he moved through the crowd. His hair swung with his hips as his laughter broke forth wild and lust filled. Tonight was his night. He leapt into the air, landing easily on one of the bars above the once roaring central fire. Using his staff for balance Nori began a series of acrobatics that drew gasps from the watching crowd. In the midst of his reel he deliberately dropped his offering and as he raised his arms the fire beneath him roared into life again. He sprung from the bar, swinging away from the flames now raging behind him. His body glowed with sweat and for a moment he seemed to take on the flames behind him. 

 

As he landed sparks of black pearl and garnet rained down and a gong was heard, followed by the deep rumbling of drums. Nori smiled with the mouth of a wolf as he walked to the final podium. The throne was of carved onyx, studded with garnets and he sank onto it with a relieved sigh. Yet it wasn’t until the food was being brought forward and loaded onto the massive spits that he dared believe he had gotten threw another ceremony. From tonight until the new year he was the head priest. He smiled tonight symbolised the end of the harvest and the start of the cold, and yet his people still celebrated it as if it were the harvest or the restart.


End file.
